General's Shouting Match

The struggle for the place near Putin's briefcase has intensified.

Those who write that the arrest of Shoigu's corrupt deputy is a bad thing do not understand the system of corruption in Russia. Their argument is that now they will steal less - and this will help the Russian army.

In fact, when someone like Timur Ivanov is removed, it means that someone else will be stealing. That's all. Moreover, the system is built for corruption from top to bottom, and changing individuals does not change anything. Just as the tactics of the Black Sea Fleet do not change from changing the admirals. The ship sinking is going to continue.

The good thing about the criminal case against Ivanov is that it's a shouting match. And any shouting match results in decreasing concentration on important things (the war) and forces to spend time and energy on unimportant things (the shouting match).

Reshuffles and mutual distrust become sand in the gears of the war machine, which is still working, no matter how shabby and rusty it gets. That's why harassment of any big fish from the Ministry of Defence, especially the open one, reduces the capabilities of the Russian army and works for the AFU, of course.

I welcome the shouting match of generals, the more distrust and struggle for the place near Putin's suitcase, the better.

Yan Matveev, Telegram